Assessing ethical problem solving by reasoning rather than decision making

Context The assessment of ethical problem solving in medicine has been controversial and challenging. The purposes of this study were: (i) to create a new instrument to measure doctors’ decisions on and reasoning approach towards resolving ethical problems; (ii) to evaluate the scores generated by the new instrument for their reliability and validity, and (iii) to compare doctors’ ethical reasoning abilities between countries and among medical students, residents and experts. Methods This study used 15 clinical vignettes and the think‐aloud method to identify the processes and components involved in ethical problem solving. Subjects included volunteer ethics experts, postgraduate Year 2 residents and pre‐clerkship medical students. The interview data were coded using the instruments of the decision score and Ethical Reasoning Inventory (ERI). The ERI assessed the quality of ethical reasoning for a particular case (Part I) and for an individual globally across all the vignettes (Part II). Results There were 17 Canadian and 32 Taiwanese subjects. Based on the Canadian standard, the decision scores between Taiwanese and Canadian subjects differed significantly, but made no discrimination among the three levels of expertise. Scores on the ERI Parts I and II, which reflect doctors’ reasoning quality, differed between countries and among different levels of expertise in Taiwan, providing evidence of construct validity. In addition, experts had a greater organised knowledge structure and considered more relevant variables in the process of arriving at ethical decisions than did residents or students. The reliability of ERI scores was 0.70–0.99 on Part I and 0.75–0.80 on Part II. Conclusions Expertise in solving ethical problems could not be differentiated by the decisions made, but could be differentiated according to the reasoning used to make those decisions. The difference between Taiwanese and Canadian experts suggests that cultural considerations come into play in the decisions that are made in the course of providing humane care to patients.     

模糊聚类分析方法在髋关节图像处理中的应用

针对医学图像的模糊特点,结合模糊连接度,提出一种新的用模糊聚类分析检测圆弧的方法,它可以精确提取出圆弧.首先把曲线按一定长度进行分段处理,分别拟合出各段的圆心坐标和半径,通过模糊关系把具有一定相似性的聚为一类,把同一类中连续的段合在一起组成新段,再进行拟合,然后再对此段两端一定范围内寻找,直至找到最佳的圆弧.这种方法已应用到股骨头轮廓圆弧的提取.     

清开灵注射液治疗脑血管性痴呆32例

目的观察清开灵注射液治疗脑血管性痴呆的疗效.方法将中医学辨证属于实证的64例脑血管性痴呆患者随机分为治疗组(清开灵注射液组)和对照组(脑复康组),治疗5周后,将两组治疗前后在智力障碍程度、肢体功能、血液流变学指标、中医证型疗效方面的变化进行比较.结果经治疗后治疗组和对照组相比较,智力障碍程度变化(有效率、MMSE、ADL积分)、肌力、步行能力改变有显著性差异,p＜0.05.而治疗前后组内及组间血流变指标虽有一定下降,但无统计学意义(p＞0.05).结论清开灵注射液对脑血管性痴呆患者,在改善智力障碍、肌力、步行能力方面有较好的疗效.     

后腹腔镜治疗肾上腺肿瘤35例临床分析

目的总结后腹腔镜技术治疗肾上腺肿瘤的临床经验.方法采用后腹腔镜切除肾上腺肿瘤35例,男12例,女23例.年龄25岁～72岁,平均49.8岁.左侧15例,右侧20例.其中嗜铬细胞瘤5例,原发性醛固酮增多症10,柯兴氏病2例,神经节细胞瘤2例,无功能性腺瘤16例.腰部取3个套管针穿刺入路,用自制的水囊扩张器扩张后腹腔,用超声刀将肿瘤切除.结果 35例手术均成功,无中转开放手术病例.术中出血量10～500 ml,平均74 ml.病人均未输血.手术时间45～200 min,平均90 min.结论后腹腔镜手术切除肾上腺肿瘤手术效果确切,手术时间短,术中出血少,损伤小,术后恢复快,可以替代绝大多数肾上腺肿瘤开放手术.     

泰素蒂加顺铂治疗进展期NSCLC的临床研究

目的观察泰素蒂加顺铂方案治疗进展期非小细胞肺癌的临床疗效、毒副作用。方法收集可评价疗效的进展期非小细胞肺癌50例,以泰素蒂加顺铂方案进行化疗,泰素蒂75 mg/m2静脉滴注,第1天;顺铂25 mg/m2～30 mg/m2静脉滴注,第2天～第5天,每3周为一个周期,2～3周期后评价疗效和毒副反应并随访。结果50例患者中,总有效率为50.0 %,其中初治病例为53.1 %,复治病例为44.4 %,初复治病例间差异无显著性(P >0.05)。中位缓解期为5个月。中位生存期为9.5个月,1年生存率为61.0 %。毒副反应主要为骨髓抑制,白细胞下降达Ⅲ度、Ⅳ度者52.0 %,血小板下降达Ⅲ度、Ⅳ度者为14.0 %。血红蛋白下降不严重。其他毒副反应还有脱发、过敏反应、水钠潴留、静脉炎、末梢神经炎、口腔炎、腹泻等,但发生率均较低。结论泰素蒂加顺铂方案治疗进展期非小细胞肺癌,特别是复发病例,临床疗效比较满意,毒副反应能够耐受。辅以G蛳CSF可防治重度的骨髓抑制,有较好的临床应用价值。     

Small proportions: what to report for confidence intervals?

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2005; 14: 239–247.     

Association between cord blood IgE and genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-4, the β-subunit of the high-affinity receptor for IgE, lymphotoxin-α, and tumor Necrosis factor-α

High cord blood immunoglobulin E (cbIgE) is known to be associated with increased risks of atopic diseases in childhood. The relationship between genetic polymorphisms and high cbIgE has not been well documented. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the association between cbIgE and genetic polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-4 -590C/T, the beta-subunit of the high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI-beta) E237G, lymphotoxin (LT)-alphaNcoI alleles, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha -308G/A. A total of 320 mother-neonate pairs were recruited from four maternity hospitals from different locations of Taiwan. Cord blood was obtained and assayed for cbIgE. Polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to assess the genotypes. Three hundred pairs of mothers and neonates were included in the final analysis. Infants with IL-4 -590 C allele were found to have higher risk of elevated cbIgE (> or =0.35 IU/ml, 24.3%) (p = 0.004). After adjusting for gender, birth order, maternal age, and history of allergic disease in maternal and paternal families, odds ratios for CC and CT genotypes were 4.41 and 3.16 (95% confidence interval 0.78-22.67, and 1.66-6.13), respectively, using TT genotype as reference. The genotypes of FcepsilonRI-beta, LT-alpha, and TNF-alpha were not associated with cbIgE before or after the adjustment. Our finding suggested a significant association of cbIgE with genetic polymorphism of IL-4 -590C/T, but not with the genotypes of FcepsilonRI-beta, LT-alpha, and TNF-alpha.     

Liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis

Aim: To examine the survival benefit of liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis and the potential prognostic factors that affect patient survival. Methods: All patients who had resection of lung or liver metastasis for colorectal metastasis in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong from 1995 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The overall and disease‐free survival was analysed, in particularly between liver and lung metastasis. All factors that may have affected the survival were entered into Cox's proportional hazards regression model to identify significant variables associated with survival. Results: At 5 years, the overall survival of patients who had resection of lung and liver metastasis was 44% and 38%, respectively; the disease‐free survival was 26% and 24%, respectively. Overall and disease‐free survival of patients with resection of lung metastasis was comparable to those with resection of liver metastasis. The differentiations of primary tumour and time to metastasis were shown to be significant prognostic factors influencing overall survival. Those patients with systemic chemotherapy after resection of colorectal metastasis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of overall survival. Conclusion: Resection of lung and liver metastases from colorectal origin was safe and both procedures improved survival. The use of chemotherapy after resection of metastasis significantly improved the overall survival.